We expect companies to recruit the best person for the job, but sometimes although you know you can do the job you don't get it, and the reason being that they think you are overqualified.
This always makes me wonder why a company will do this; I think it is for 2 reasons:
- They think that you are treating the job as a 'stop gap' and you will look for something better as soon as you can
- The boss is scared and doesn't want someone more knowledgeable than them in the job
You can address both of these at interview, by anticipating any concerns and covering them. For example, you could say something like:
'You may wonder why I'm applying for this job, and think that I'm overqualified. I've done a careful review of where I want to be in my life and career and this is not to continue working as a XXX but to take on a role just like this one to allow me to continue to use my skills and knowledge but also to have time to develop my passionate interest of XXX.'
I always encourage my clients to follow up after an interview by sending a letter, emphasising strengths and addressing any areas where their answers may have been better. If your interviewer may see you as over qualified you can use a follow up letter as an opportunity to demonstrate just what extra value you can bring. For example, you could demonstrate your understanding of the situations facing the company - you did ask about this as one of your interview questions, didn't you? and create a short plan of what you would do if hired, perhaps doing some competitor analysis and taking account of industry trends.
You want them to think of you as someone that is a real asset to the company, so give them a reason to do just that.
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